Lakecia Benjamin

The JAI

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Now in its third year, the Jazz Mini-Festival brings the best jazz musicians in the country to The Conrad in a weeklong celebration of concerts, lectures, and engagement events. Following this season’s Jazz Series theme “IN TRIBUTE,” the Jazz Mini-Festival honors foundational jazz legends as well as trailblazing musicians defining jazz today.

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“Equally melodic and assertive, her sound feels rooted in tradition, yet broad enough to encompass R&B and Latin music; its pronounced funk suggests allegiances to hip-hop and dance.”
— The New York Times

High-energy alto saxophonist blends jazz, funk, and R&B

Five-time GRAMMY® nominee Lakecia Benjamin is an alto saxophonist, MC, and bandleader known for her captivating live performances and her unique meld of R&B, jazz, and funk. Her acclaimed albums Phoenix and Pursuance: The Coltranes have firmly established her among jazz’s foremost artists, with praise from The New York Times, The Guardian, and DownBeat.

Phoenix earned an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Jazz Album and she has been named Alto Saxophonist of the Year by the Jazz Journalist Association and Jazz Scholar by the Library of Congress. Benjamin’s prominence continues to rise with collaborations with John Scofield, Randy Brecker, and Jeff “Tain” Watts as well as appearances on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert and NPR’s Tiny Desk.

Benjamin grew up in New York City’s Washington Heights and developed rapidly as a saxophonist, eventually studying with major jazz figures at the New School and performing with ensembles led by Clark Terry and Reggie Workman. Her expanding influences—from jazz mentors to gigs with Missy Elliott and Alicia Keys—shaped her 2010 Motema debut Retox and helped establish her as a sought-after talent in the jazz world.